A flexible platform for protecting people against deadly plague with Yersinia pestis as the test case
Official title: A versatile new generation platform for prophylactic treatment against highly consequential bacterial pathogens: Yersinia pestis as a prototype
Funded at University of Texas Med Br Galveston · NIH-11605984 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new vaccination platform is being developed to protect people against Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, using multiple vaccine components and viral/bacteriophage delivery systems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Med Br Galveston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Galveston, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $111,849 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AI190007-01A1S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11605984 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable at this stage; the study is preclinical and focused on vaccine concepts in animal models and early human safety signals.
✕Less likely to help
Current patients with plague are not directly enrolled in this preclinical work.
What this research studies
This project aims to advance a versatile vaccine platform that combines F1 and LcrV antigens with YscF to improve protection in preclinical models. It builds on prior animal and limited human data to move a leading candidate closer to clinical testing. The work includes testing adenovirus-based and bacteriophage-based vaccine formulations and measuring immune responses such as antibody titers. The goal is to create a safer, more effective prophylactic vaccine that can be evaluated in future human trials. If successful, this platform could hasten the availability of countermeasures against plague and potentially other bacterial pathogens.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to a broadly protective plague vaccine approach that reduces mortality from bubonic and pneumonic plague.
How similar studies have gone: Previous preclinical work showed protective immune responses with F1-V vaccine candidates; integrating YscF may enhance protection, with some promising data in animals.
Where this research is happening
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University of Texas Med Br Galveston
Galveston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chopra, Ashok K — University of Texas Med Br Galveston
- Study coordinator: Chopra, Ashok K
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.